My Concrete Angel
by truevindication
Summary: "He watched her all the time." Reflection piece. Tony observes Ziva... does she even notice? Chapter 2 up!
1. Tony's POV

He watched her. He watched her all the time.

There was nothing on the outside that gave him reason to, for the most part, to most people, it would have been deemed unnecessary.

She laughed, she smiled, she teased and taunted.

To anyone else she would seem untouchable.

But he knew better.

When all three team members of them were knee-deep in paperwork, sifting through endless files and folders, typing away at the keyboard for hours, he would look up and see her lost in thought. Her eyes would be on the keyboard, fingers poised to type, but he could tell her mind was elsewhere.

He never dared ask where her mind went during these periods. He would continue through the motions of his work, never letting his eyes off of her. Eventually she would slowly snap back to the present and carry on as if the time freeze had never happened.

He tried to imagine different reasons for these moments. Everything seemed so distant and miniscule. Her father. Her home she left behind. Her time away… But everything seemed so far gone. Was it as distant to her as he thought it was? He hoped that it was.

It was a late night for everyone. McGee had gone down to Abby's lab to deliver some more Caf-Pow, and in all honesty probably just to get away from the desk for a while. The bullpen seemed darker than it was. Tony could see only his and his partner's light giving off any illumination. He placed the papers he was reading for the hundredth time on his desk, rubbing his eyes and leaning back in his chair slightly. He put his hands behind his head and looked at the desk across from his and smiled.

Ziva had nodded off, head tilted slightly back, arms crossed tightly in front of her.

He watched her, in her peaceful state, preferring this look of peace on her face over the anguish he usually saw when he watched her.

He watched her all the time.


	2. Ziva's POV

She couldn't help it anymore.

Her mind wandered. It went to far off places she thought she left behind.

Thoughts of her time in Mossad plagued her. Images of those lives she had touched, and worse, taken, played like a slideshow she couldn't stop. Thoughts of her family she lost so long ago, comparatively to her family she had now. And that's when she'd come back.

Sometimes it was triggered by a case, a moment or even just a passing feeling. Instantly her mind was gone. She would catch herself, wondering how long she had spaced out. She would shake her head softly and will herself to continue what she was doing. She tried to act as if it had never happened.

But she felt his eyes on her.

He wasn't always watching her, but it was as if he knew when she would let her thoughts roam free. Almost as if he was watching out her, just in case.

His eyes burned into her, she felt her skin radiate and flush. At first she felt he was intruding, being nosy as usual. Over time she realized he would never say anything to her about it. It made her feel safe, comfortable, knowing that there was someone watching out for her, even if it was just Tony. Just Tony…

Her mind would combat the thoughts of if she belonged here, wondering in the grand scheme of things how she got here; if she would last here. She continually questioned if this was the right fit for her.

One moment she would be typing up a report, tedious task that it was, and she would realize where she was compared to where she had been. She realized how much she had grown as a person to be where she was.

If anyone else ever noticed, she never knew. It was his eyes she felt.

It was an odd feeling, when she let herself think about it. His watchful view made her feel as though she was walking through a dark alley, with someone on her six. He was a good partner. He was more than a partner; he helped her feel secure in her most vulnerable, almost undetectable moments like this.

With that thought she rested her eyes, willing her mind to hush for a moment. Even with her eyes shut she felt him watching her once more. A small smile played on her lips. Something she once felt so uncomfortable and awkward gave her the freedom to let her guard down, even if only in the darkened bullpen.

He wasn't watching her. He was watching over her.

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><p><strong>AN:** So I had toyed with the idea of more than one chapter, this only came out because I got a few requests. Main reason for my plan of such a short one shot? I'm not usually a fan of READING stories this short so it's hard to justify writing them this short if for no other reason than to appease the plot bunnies running around my head. I actually developed an idea for a few more chapters of this, but we'll see what you, the people, want! (: Hope you enjoyed. Please check out my other stories as well! -semper boredom.


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